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Heritage of A San Diego Historic Hotel

Posted by Esther Elias, Guest Services | Oct 10, 2013

There’s no better way to celebrate our 51st anniversary than taking a look back at our island’s storied history. Today marks the day when Paradise Point Resort & Spa first opened its doors in 1962 as Vacation Village, the fantasy-island resort where individuals could escape reality. Even though our historic San Diego hotel has undergone many changes over the years, we’ve made a point to preserve its original award-winning architecture and notable artifacts.

There’s a lot to explore across Paradise Point’s 44 acres, but for a glimpse into this historic hotel in San Diego’s past, don’t miss these five highlights of our heritage:

BAREFOOT BAR & GRILL – Constructed at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, this San Diego restaurant was originally built to double as a bunker. Frequent patrons joked the restaurant was a place you could “get drunk, but not bombed!”

MOVIE SET MEMORABILIA - Paradise Point was founded by an Academy Award-winning Hollywood producer who worked on several Hitchcock films. He incorporated remnants of movie sets around our historic hotel in San Diego, including the porpoise fountain near the lobby (Cleopatra) and ornate doorway masonry.

LOBBY - Mission Beach’s famous Giant Dipper rollercoaster served as the inspiration for the wavy roof of the lobby building, originally home to a restaurant that also had an amusement park theme: The Carousel Room.

OBSERVATION TOWER – A guest favorite, our iconic observation tower stands above the lobby at 70 feet tall. Breathtaking 360° views of our historic hotel and the city of San Diego can be seen from the top. The crowning wire sculpture was designed by the architect’s daughter as a tribute to the red-eared slider turtles that can be found in the hotel lagoons.

ORIGINAL MISSION BELLS – Scattered across the grounds of our historic San Diego hotel is the country’s largest collection of original El Camino Real bells. These bells were brought to San Diego in 1914 to line the famed 700-mile-long highway that connected California’s 21 missions. Can you find all eight?

Virginia

Washington

Washington, D.C.

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